New Macbook Pro, 4gb vs 8gb ram, and SSD or normal hard drive? - Computer Technical Help

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New Macbook Pro, 4gb vs 8gb ram, and SSD or normal hard drive?

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11-26-2010 , 03:27 PM

chr147

grinder

Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 595

I'm purchasing a new macbook pro today, trying to figure out if it's worth the monies to upgrade from 4gb to 8gb of DDR3 ram ($400 more).

What about a 500GB 7200RPM hard drive versus a 128 GB Solid State Hard drive (+$150 for the solid state, but you get much less space).

I'm in medical school, and I primarily use my laptop for school things such as power points, word processing, browsing internet, facebook. I play poker on my laptop and a 2nd monitor that I will hook up to my laptop. I run pokertracker while I play from 4-8 tables.

Suggestions?

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11-26-2010 , 04:02 PM

3after909

banned

Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 530

8GB is not necessary. $400 is too expensive imo. If you will require more RAM, you can always upgrade later. SSD is worth it if you aren't computer savvy. Upgrading the drive yourself is a bit more involved.

Also, FWIW, I like the 15 inch MBP best.

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11-26-2010 , 04:31 PM

funkyworms

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 4,250

Agree with 909 on all points.

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11-26-2010 , 07:08 PM

chr147

grinder

Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 595

that's what im getting, 15 inch.

Is the tradeoff for SSD worth it though? from 500GB to 128 is a huge diff, no?

Also, for the 15 inch they are offering:
2.4GHz i5
2.53 GHz i5 (+ $200)
2.66 GHz i7 (+ $400)

what do you recommend?

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11-26-2010 , 07:58 PM

funkyworms

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 4,250

Very few people need that much space. 128gb is more than enough. If you find you need more space you can easily add an external hard drive.

2.4GHz i5

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11-26-2010 , 08:29 PM

boy09

adept

Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 723

Quote:

Originally Posted by funkyworms

Very few people need that much space. 128gb is more than enough. If you find you need more space you can easily add an external hard drive.

2.4GHz i5

+1 Externals are dirt cheap if you ever need the extra space. And the slight bump in processor speed is not worth $200 imo.

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11-26-2010 , 09:29 PM

DCJ001

veteran

Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,843

Here are some informative URLs:

http://www.barefeats.com/mbpp18.html

http://www.barefeats.com/mbpp19.html

http://www.barefeats.com/mbpp20.html

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11-26-2010 , 10:05 PM

Beavis68

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 5,814

Those upgrade prices are just insane.

One thing you didn't mention is the high res screen. Save some money and consider that instead.

300 buck to upgrade to a solid state drive? You can buy one for 200 and use the old one as backup with an adapter. That is just criminal.

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11-26-2010 , 10:43 PM

boy09

adept

Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 723

I don't know where you got 300 bucks from. OP said the solid state upgrade is $150, which is about right.

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11-26-2010 , 10:49 PM

#10

Beavis68

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 5,814

from the macstore web site.

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11-26-2010 , 11:11 PM

#11

boy09

adept

Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 723

Gotcha, i see what you're talking about now. I was just looking where OP posted the $150 difference. The increase of $150 from a 320gb 5400rpm hard drive to a 500gb 7200rpm hard drive is criminal indeed. 500gb 7200rpm drives don't even cost $150..

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11-26-2010 , 11:46 PM

#12

chr147

grinder

Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 595

Thanks for responses. Hopefully this will carry me through 4 years of med school and some online poker multi tabling.

total after taxes: $2,351.95

Macbook Pro 15.4 inches

PROCESSOR 065-9131 2.4GHz Intel Core i5

MEMORY 065-9135 4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRM - 2x2GB

HARD DRIVE 065-9141 128GB Solid State Drive

OPTICAL DRIVE 065-9145 SuperDrive 8X DL

DISPLAY 065-9412 MBP 15"High Resolution Antiglare WS Display

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11-27-2010 , 12:14 AM

#13

Beavis68

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 5,814

Quote:

Originally Posted by boy09

this is why I will probably never buy a mac. I would get a gateway and hackintosh it instead. The prices are just insane.

Not saying that the OP shouldn't buy it. If you want it go for it, from everything I know you will be happy, and it will get you through the next four years.

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11-27-2010 , 12:30 AM

#14

funkyworms

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 4,250

While I agree with Beavis about the price, I think a hard drive swap + OS X reinstall could be pretty daunting for a computer noob. This is why I didn't recommend it.

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11-27-2010 , 12:49 AM

#15

kerowo

lolcat

Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 37,183

I'm pretty sure there are places on the Internets will replace the optical drive with another hd or ssd as another upgrade option.

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11-27-2010 , 12:43 PM

#16

Beavis68

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 5,814

I agree funky, I was just ranting.

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11-27-2010 , 01:53 PM

#17

DCJ001

veteran

Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,843

Quote:

Originally Posted by kerowo

I'm pretty sure there are places on the Internets will replace the optical drive with another hd or ssd as another upgrade option.

http://www.mcetech.com/optibay/

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11-27-2010 , 02:23 PM

#18

Freakin

bacon wannabe

Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 17,152

Quote:

Originally Posted by kerowo

I'm pretty sure there are places on the Internets will replace the optical drive with another hd or ssd as another upgrade option.

for sure. those are pretty sweet

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11-28-2010 , 08:10 PM

#19

z28dreams

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 5,108

I really want a new laptop and am waiting for something to go wrong with my current one. (3-4yrs old, core duo, 1.5gb ram, nothing fancy, but a rock).

As much as I'd like to try out a Macbook - these prices are just disgusting.

$1800 for a MBP 15" base model on identical hardware where you could get a PC for like $600 or less.

Anyway, if you do go w/ the MBP - I agree with the above. Pass on the ram, but get the SSD drive.

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11-28-2010 , 09:24 PM

#20

boy09

adept

Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 723

Quote:

Originally Posted by z28dreams

$1800 for a MBP 15" base model on identical hardware where you could get a PC for like $600 or less.

$600 is a bit of a stretch. I would say $800ish would be a closer estimate.

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11-29-2010 , 02:29 AM

#21

headtrauma

grinder

Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 506

Getting the ssd from Apple is actually more attractive vs picking up a similar sized drive elsewhere than it seems at first glance. OSX still doesn't support the TRIM command to maintain drive speed as the drive gets filled, so using a drive with a chipset that has aggressive idel garbage collection is important.
Assuming the MBP SSD is the same or similar to the new MBA SSD,here's an Anadtech review (link) of a Kingston drive with the same controller.
So installing your own ssd is still a valid way to save some money, but researching the controller is going to be important in maintaining drive performance in the long term.

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